Heart Burned
by Zhaneel
Summary: CHAPS 13 ADDED! SEQUAL TO HEARTSTRINGS So what the hell goes down in the Dark Angel world after Heart Strings? Whats a girl to do after months of torture? How can the healing to start when some internal wounds are about to be re-opened?VIOLENTCONTENT
1. Poisoned

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel. Blah blah blah. Authors Note: I had such an uproar from the first story I figured, "What the hell?" So here is the sequel I hope will quench your thirst. Summary: Don't know yet, makes it a bit of a surprise. ---- Max shivered from the chills that danced along her spine. She was scared, though unwilling to admit it. After all, it had been a week since the destruction of Manticore and her body had finally begun to heal itself from the insistent torture from the Shock Wave.  
  
A car horn honked outside of her clouded window of the 'vacant' apartment building.  
  
Max still clutched her arms tightly around her bent legs, her chin resting on the tops of her knees, her long brown hair cascading around her shoulders all the while her bright almond eyes were wide and white with alertness. She couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep. If she allowed herself to drift, she would only find herself once again in the clutches of the now deceased Renfro and the sound of her own heart. Zac's heart. Then when she awoke from her nightmares Max knew she would only find herself re- living those horrific months again through her current life. She had work in the morning. Normal didn't bother asking about her bizarre entrance into Jam Pony. He thought it was a prank, let him think it.  
  
Her beeper set off. It moved on the well-worn dresser just in front of her. She watched the tiny box moved and make a definite hum, screaming for her to answer the call. She wasn't going to. She already knew who it was. Logan. It was Logan, they had not even talked since the night Manticore blew apart into a million pieces and shrapnel. She didn't want to talk to him, she didn't want him to even talk to her about those past months at Manticore. Max was too afraid, Cindy understood and although she didn't like to. Cindy didn't bother to try and understand her best friends fear. More than just the Shock Wave therapy had taken place but Max wasn't willing to remember or even accept that just yet.  
  
Her clear painted nail scraped along a spidery scar that had begun to fade along her forearm. Her eyelashes fluttered as her gaze drifted towards the alarm clock that sat on her windowsill. The bright red numbers blinked keeping improper time due to the black out that had taken place that morning.  
  
How had this happened? How did she let herself become such a mess? Such a charity case, something that Max hated most of all. Logan treated her like some sort of fragile glass that could crack and shatter into grain at the slightest touch. Cindy, though allowing Max her space, allowed too many awkward silences to pass in between their once usual conversations. Max didn't feel herself, she felt as though she was in a different skin. She continued to ponder this trying to understand what to do next.  
  
How could she go back to her rough and tough self? That sarcastic, sadistic, menacing chick that only looked out for herself and no one else? May be that was part of the problem. She actually did care and only told herself she didn't so that no emotional attachement could be made. What if somehow Manticore came back? What if she was caught again? Cindy? Or even. Logan? The man who was Eyes Only? What would Manticore do to such a secret once it is revealed? Max shuddered to even think of the possibilities. She was only 20 and already had become wise by ways that no soldier or norm should ever have to. Her dignity had been stolen, her esteem was crushed, her ego was only a shell to keep herself hidden from the world, and her feelings all seemed the same. Fear or numb.  
  
The sky was now tinged with orange. Sunrise. Max rose from her springy mattress and began to look for clean clothes to wear. 


	2. Starting Over

Max entered the bustling Jam Pony. Most greeted her warmly with smiles and friendly waves. After all it had been a very long time since their darling spitfire had been at the post office. Normal spat out to her from behind the counter, "Well, well, well. So you think you work here now do you?"  
  
Cindy, with a hand on her hip and a well deserved eye roll, "Foo. Just let the girl get back to her damn job and don't raise such a stink."  
  
Normal waved a finger and shook his head vigorously as he walked in front of the duo, "No no no no no no. I don't think so princess. I'm sure that you have a great excuse about where the hell you've been?"  
  
Max took a breath, remembering what the old Max would do in a situation like this. "I got me a heart transplant."  
  
"Oh is that so? Well missy miss. Doctors note? Insurance bill? Anything to verify? Come on now. bip bip bip!"  
  
Max simply pulled down her tank top shirt just enough to show the ugly scar that lay on her breastbone.  
  
Normal held a tongue in cheek expression before finally saying, "Fine. Here, hot run."  
  
"Max!" Sketchy came running up to his friend. He bumped fists with the girl as Herbal followed suit.  
  
"My sistah, where have you been? I hear you got epilepsy or some-sing like dat." Herbal gave her a friendly wink.  
  
Max managed a meek smile, "Something like that. Thanks for covering for me a few weeks ago. I appreciate it."  
  
"Heey, no problem! As I always say, it's all good, all da time." Herbal grabbed a package that was sitting on Normals counter and exited the building.  
  
Sketchy did the same thing after exchanging a few more words with Max.  
  
Finally the horrible moment was over and she could get back to what she was doing. Although it was the end of summer, and fall was still a little warmer than it should be, Max still wore her black stretch pants and leather jacket. Her bike gloves clung to her fingers revealing only the ends of one or two scars that easily passed as perhaps a cat scratch or something of that nature.  
  
She clutched the parcel and headed back out the door without uttering a word. 


	3. The Glass is Cracking

The city looked so different from what she had remembered. Before Manticores second capture of her, Max had been able to notice the highlights in the place. Although she never voiced any of her observations to anyone, not even Logan. She knew that it was there, happiness. peace. safety. All of which were hidden within the nooks of Seattle.  
But now, she didn't feel safe. She didn't feel peaceful or comfortable. If anything she was more on edge than back in 09. Even a cats meow would send her into a cold sweat of fear, which was ironic. Considering she herself had feline DNA intertwined with her genes.  
The day went by slowly, she passed off packages to customers without emotion. Then she noticed her last package. She read the name,  
  
Logan Cale  
  
Max suppressed an uneasy sigh. She didn't want to see Logan, she couldn't see Logan. She felt weak and vulnerable around him most of all. She was the bad ass around the block, what would he think of her now that she wasn't herself? How could he still have feelings for her after seeing that she could easily be taken from him? Max had decided days ago that she didn't want to hear the answers to her questions because she felt that neither answer would make her feel any better.  
Max stuffed the tiny crumpled package back inside of her bag and began her ride to his pent house. Sooner than she would have liked she was walking down his hallway, knocking on the door, and being asked to come inside.  
  
"You haven't answered my calls." Logan started the conversation innocently enough.  
  
"Yeah, well, didn't feel like talking." She shrugged, making a crude attempt at hiding what was really on her mind.  
  
He nodded, "Fair enough."  
  
A minute of silence passed between them. What did he expect from her? Was she supposed to leap into his arms and say some bullshit about how she had missed him so much and she loved him and she. Fuck no. That was weakness that was where Manticore would get to her again. Through Logan.  
  
"I gotta jet." She murmured. "I still need a signature."  
  
"Give me the board." Logan gestured to her clipboard. He signed his name in silence.  
  
She dropped the package onto his couch and began to head out the door when it started. Max began to tremble, why now? She felt around in her coat pocket for the small canister of relief. She quickly gulped down the caplets with shaking hands.  
  
"Max. They're getting worse, since Manticore. Cindy's told me over the phone." Logan told her calmly.  
  
"No their not." She lied through irritated clenched teeth. That bitch. Who the hell did she think she was? Going behind her back like that and talking about something that she didn't even understand.  
  
Logan placed a hand on her shoulder, "You can stay here until its over you know."  
  
She shrugged off his hand and shook her head no, "No. I have to go back to work."  
  
"Max you aren't in any shape to do that."  
  
"Leave me the fuck alone Logan! There's nothing you can do about what some jacked-up military scientist did to me! It's done and now I have to live with it and there isn't anything that can be fixed about it!" She shouted at him angrily.  
  
"Max." he paused, confused, he wasn't even hinting towards what Manticore had done to her the past few months but obviously that's how she was taking his words.  
  
"I gotta jet." She was determined to run from this conversation.  
  
Logan shouted after her as she left his condo through the front door, "You can't keep running from what's happened to you Max!" He followed her into the hallway and watched her turn into the elevator; "You're going to have to face it sometime!" Her innocent chocolate mint eyes looked at him at those words. The doors closed silently.  
  
Max re-entered Jam Pony. Her tremors had subsided though every few minutes they shot back into effect. It was a week after starting back at Jam Pony when Logan had called her to come see him about something. She hadn't known that he would start the whole mediation therapy shit that she had been dreading the most.  
  
He's right you know. About running away from what they did to you in Manticore. You can't keep running, if you do. You're just going to crash and burn.  
  
She bumped past Sketchy who called her name with a smile that soon after vanished. What the hell was she doing here? What made her think that she could have come and slipped right back into a near-normal life? Why did she ever believe that she and Logan would pick up right where they had left off? Why? WHY?!  
  
Her feet took her into Normals office. "I need to take a day off." She told him flatly with little to no expression.  
  
"Oh no missy miss. You just started up again and you still have to finish your shift. There is no way that you can just take the day off in the middle of a shift like this. Oh no no no.."  
  
Max raised her voice, "You don't understand! I need to take a day off!"  
  
He shook his head with that goofy smirk that he always carried. A forefinger pushed his glasses up the bridge of nose as he watched Max while shifting through clipboards and letters.  
  
Outside the office, Herbal was elbowing Sketchy and pointing towards the enraged Max, "Somethin's cookin' man."  
  
Cindy walked up just then and asked the two, "What the hell's goin' on wit my girl?"  
  
"iunno. Something about she needs to take the day off but Normal an't lettin' it happen."  
  
Just then Normal shouted at her, "IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THE DAMN DAY OFF WALK OUT AND YOU WON'T BE COMING BACK! JIMMINY CHRISTMAS. YOU'RE LUCKY I LET YOU COME BACK AFTER NOT BEING HERE FOR SO LONG! I STILL DON'T KNOW IF THAT HEART TRANSPLANT WAS A FAKE OR NOT! FOR ALL I KNOW THAT SCAR COULD HAVE BEEN YEARS OLD!  
  
"Oh shit." Cindy took Normals last few words as her cue. She pushed past the gaping employees and grabbed Max's arm just as she was about to advance on Normal. "Max. don't, let it go suga. I'll get Sketch to cover your shift. He gets off in five anyway and lost an hour last week. What do ya say Normal? Whats the difference if Max does her shift or Sketch does?"  
  
Normal looked at her and rolled his eyes, "Fine. I can't be short any more hands now."  
  
Cindy nodded and started to lead Max out of the room by her arm when Max snatched back her arm. "Don't touch me." She snapped.  
  
Max headed out of Jam Pony not quite sure what to do. She felt eyes watching her but she didn't care. They didn't understand. No one could possible understand what she had gone through except for a fellow transgenic. Cindy followed Max outside the door and ran in front of her, blocking Max from leaving her on the sidewalk.  
  
"Boo. I don't know what the hell they did to you in that backwards- military mumbo-jumbo. I do know that something happened today that has made you trip all of a sudden. Now what is it suga? Was there somethin' side' that electric shit?"  
  
Her eyes were dark and angry, on the edge. Her voice trembled, "I can't tell you. I want to forget that it ever happened. Don't ask me again." 


	4. Night Terrors

This chapter is alittle bit longer than the others. Although a lot happens in this chapter so enjoy.  
  
Eyes opened. Room blurred. Walls spinning. Pain. Screams.  
  
Darkness  
  
Fear. Doctors everywhere.  
  
"This project should be succesful. X-5 DNA was the breakthough."  
  
"Doctor?"  
  
"If one can.. ." Mufled voice.  
  
"Then she should..."  
  
Whispers.  
  
Darkness.  
  
Cell. Cold. Dark. Fear. Screams.  
  
Max shot up from the couch in a cold sweat. She was terrified.  
  
"Just a dream.. Just a dream." Max whispered to herself. "Only a dream."  
  
She looked over to the phone and picked it off of the metalic reciever. The clock on the panel blinked 5:45. She hurried over to the kitchen sink and splashed cold water onto her face. The water dripped down her nose and only gave a few seconds of relief.  
  
That wasn't a dream Max. you know it. That smart-ass voice said inside of her head. She ignored the voice instead and burried it under layers of other thoughts and worries. She sat in silence as she sipped her mug of coffee. Well, instant cofee.  
  
"Hey boo." Cindy shut the door behind her. "You aight'?"  
  
Max started at the noise, her fingers shook as she set down her warm mug of comfort. "Fine."  
  
"Girl. We gotta have us a sit down. Girl to girl. Whats on yo mind boo? You know you can tell the OC anything."  
  
Cindy threw her bag to the side and took a seat on the beaten couch. Her leg was folded underneath her and she rested her chin on the back of her palm. A red pillow sat underneath her elbow and she waited.  
  
Max shook her head, "No. It didn't happen to me. Nothing happened."  
  
Cindy raised an eyebrow, "can't be worse than that electrical shit they did. Let it out boo. You know I won't tell anyone."  
  
The last sentence made her suddenly remember something, "You won't say anything? You won't say anything. That's really funny, cause' from what I hear you've been talkin' behind my back to Logan."  
  
Cindy started at this, "Max. I'm worried bout' you."  
  
Max stalked off across the room, "Well don't."  
  
Cindy's voice became firm, "Max! Don't keep shutin' everyone out!"  
  
Max was silent, It was just a dream. She thought to herself. A nightmare. Then that nagging voice cut in, It was your fault you know. Its all on you.  
  
All of a sudden, Max chucked her mug across the room in anger. It smashed into a thousand pieces. Cindy jumped, startled by her friends sudden anger. Max fell back against the wall behind her and slid slowly to the floor as if in defeat by some unseen demon. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she clutched her scalp with white knuckled fists. Her nose sniffed, she was so exhausted, numb, weary, alone. No one could possibly understand her fears, her nightmares. her past. She was poison.  
  
Max found Cindy's arm appear around her shoulders, she rested her head on her friends shoulder. She wasn't ready to talk, although this was enough. for now. Cindy hushed Max with comfort, "S'ok boo. Original Cindy's got yo' back. Nothin's gonna get to you now."  
  
Max wasn't sure. 


	5. Old Secrets, Old Friends

Authors Note: I am very sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long. I wasn't going to finish the story just because I haven't been in that great of a mood. Then that reviewer told me to keep it going. Which makes sense since I have been making a truckload of new DA ideas. So I just wanted to tell my fans how sorry I am for making you wait. Be expecting a chapter that will be dedicated to one of my friends who recently passed away in a car accident. It won't be this one though. RIP Ner-child.  
  
Logan's fingers tapped vigorously on his iMac cordless keyboard. If Max wasn't going to tell him what happened to her, then he would have to find out himself. May be he was being a dick for searching through her past for secrets she wanted to keep secret, but he didn't care. No doubt he would regret doing this later, and yeah the thought of Max finding out crossed his mind. He had to know what was eating her inside. His mouse ran over to files, double-clicking, X-ing others out. His eyes ran back and forth over the screen, and then he found a file that had some use to it.  
  
X-5 452, Re-train  
  
He didn't hesitate to open the file. Suddenly his 'hack sensor' began a countdown of two minutes. Manticore had locked onto him and he had to download as many of the 123 files as he could within those two minutes. He started the download. Since he was already being chased down by Manticore, he had to download the old fashion way to evade further detection. Hopefully, Manticore's computer system would just assume his invasion was a computer malfunction, a false alarm. So he started, right clicking and selecting 'download link' to his hard drive. His computer automatically shut down once the two minutes were up. He had retrieved 72 files. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly unplugged himself from the phone jack, just incase Manticores computer was still trying to lock on to his location.  
  
Once the main screen returned into view, he quickly burned the files to disk and erased any record of them ever being on his computer. Logan stared at the CD that he had just made. He wasn't sure if it had even been the right file, or if his 72 files were anything but standard CY-Ops sessions. He didn't care; he would watch all of them. Logan calmly pulled a bottle of scotch out of his desk drawer and didn't bother to pour himself a glass. He took a swig before inserting the disk into his computer. The computer began to click noisily, reading and identifying the encoded information on the piece of plastic that began to whir inside of the drive. Then the icon showed up on his computer, it was labeled "My CD". He took another swig as he watched his computer open the CD and present the window that listed all 72-file names to Logan. He clicked on the first file, which was labeled, 452-0001. He smirked to himself and thought, everything has a number with Manticore.  
  
~~~  
  
Max had just left Jam Pony for the evening and had been invited to Crash for a night out. She had shrugged off the invitation claiming she had a headache and just wanted to go home. As Max walked down the street, alone and chilly from the creeping autumn air, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Suddenly, she bumped into someone. She looked up as the individual grabbed one of her arms instinctively, "Whoa. Hey my bad."  
  
A bright eyes smart ass met her gaze. "Max, hey what's up? Nice fireworks display back at the old cracker factory." He laughed sarcastically.  
  
She smiled and replied, "Hey Alec. Sorry that whole breeding partner thing didn't work out, you just weren't my type you know?"  
  
He grinned, "Do you have any idea how many of us got out? I think just about everyone Max. Even the anomalies..."  
  
She asked him, "How do you know that?"  
  
"Cause' I ran into a gang of them in Terminal City a few days ago... yeah, makin some deals with some metal head thugs. Or at least I thought that's where the meeting spot was. Any who, some really freaky looking weirdoes they are. One guy, Mole I think is his name, seems to be runnin the joint. He's got this whole salamander, chameleon, lizard thingy goin' on that's just kinda weird." Alec shrugged. "Ah-well. Not like I'm going to ever have to meet them again."  
  
Max nodded her head, Others... Over in Terminal City... She made a mental note of the place, unsure of why she did so.  
  
"Wanna go for a beer?" Alec asked her.  
  
"Tryin' to hit on me?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Me? Never. Why the hell would I wanna make it with a chick whose got a thing for kicking guys in the jaw?"  
  
She remained silent, unable to laugh. She couldn't get over how much he looked like Ben. Well of course he looks like Ben you dumb ass... he is a clone you know. AKA: Twin.  
  
"Hey, you alright? You look pretty shakin'." He observed, now seriousness all over his face.  
  
"I'm fine." She lied.  
  
"Yeah ok. Well, hey lemme give you my current address. Some guy moved outta the craphole a while ago. Butt loads of TV's everywhere, don't know where he went. Heard he got shot during some sort of raid. Whatever, here's the building and apartment number. If you wanna come have a few beers sometime, lemme know." With that, He walked off.  
  
Max looked at the crumpled piece of paper in her fingers that had just been handed to her. She felt a sliver of guilt creep into her veins but she quickly snuffed it out. Don't get emotional, and you can't get yourself hurt. She told herself.  
  
*_*  
  
Sorry for bad sentence structure or whatever, this is fanfiction so I don't take it as seriously grammar wise as I do other things.** 


	6. Learning Fear, Rising Fear

**Sorry, this is more of a 'transitional' chapter... :-D its really short that's why I uploaded like two more chapters tonight, including this one :- D ** *-*-* Logan watched intently, observing the documentary footage. He had already viewed 12 of the documentaries and after viewing the first few, he had felt something within himself that he never thought he would feel. Hate. Bold, swollen, and bleeding hate for Renfro, for Manticore, for everything that Manticore stood for. How could humanity be capable of doing this to another human being? He questioned himself. His bottle of scotch was nearly empty and he knew that the moment he moved that his wheel chair would probably be rolling into tables and door frames on the way to his bed. Logan watched in horror, with a well-masked face, the torture that Max had endured. Her eyes were squeezed so tightly that it seemed that she didn't have eyes, her body thrashed against the restraints, her teeth clenched around a leather bit and all the while her voice was nothing but a broken, muffled shriek. No wonder she won't talk to anyone... Logan watched as the electricity that swelled through her veins forces tiny threads of blood to seep from her skin. At the end of each session, her body became limp and was strapped to a gurney and rolled out of the screen.  
  
The following three files were actually audio recordings of interrogations with Max. Logan listened as she was asked to state her designation and Max answered,  
  
"My name is Max."  
  
He could hear Renfro correcting her, informing Max that her designation was X-5 452 and her purpose was to serve Manticore and only Manticore.  
  
Logan grazed over the rest of the files, deciding whether or not he would confront Max about what happened to her. Then a little voice kicked into his brain, Are you insane? She should never find out that you have these files... Logan shut down his computer and retired for bed. He would watch the rest of the files the following day. Max didn't have to be alone in this, she shouldn't have to be. As Logan turned off the lights in his room and slipped into his $352 silk sheets, he shuddered realizing how many other transgenics must have gone through the very same torture as Max. *-*-* Max jumped with a start out of bed. A trashcan had tipped over somewhere one floor below her window. She rolled over and held her pillow over her ears.  
  
"I'm such a wuss." She whispered, ashamed of her latest behavior. "Didn't used to be, but I am now."  
  
Her skin was hot, the heat in the building had busted once again. Max didn't care though; she would not be replacing her long sleeved PJ shirt with a short-sleeved one. She hated those damn scars. Fucking hated them. They reminded her of the person she had become and the piece of herself she had lost. Although she knew perfectly well that she was currently safe in her bed, at night, one floor above peering eyes, curtains drawn and door locked- her paranoia was getting the best of her. She had become more afraid to go out on runs for Jam Pony, she was afraid to be awake, afraid to be asleep. Worst of all she felt alone, and she was struggling with the pieces of memories that had slowly begun to drift back to her since the final escape. 'If one was able to...' kept creeping back into her brain. Able to what?! She would think to herself angrily. Why couldn't she remember? Why had this happened to her? Why, why, why?!  
  
Her alarm clock buzzed its annoying wake-up call. Time for work, time for more paranoia. Joy. 


	7. Betrayal Revealed in Too Little Time

Authors Note: Thanks so much for your reviews. They really cheered me up and have inspired me to continue. ( So, here is the next chapter. To all of those Max & Logan fans out there, sorry but you know I'm one too but I'm not going to deny the fact that Logan can be one snoopy tootie when he wants to be. ;-)  
  
The next couple of days went by a little better than the past few weeks. Max was going through what she called a 'numb stage' where just about anything could happen and she would still have the reaction as a turnip would. She was on her last run for the day and once again, a package for the charming, ever so witty, Logan Cale. She sighed in annoyance and frustration. Fine. It only took her minutes to get to his condo, the directions and methods she used from tapping the elveator buttons to knocking on his door were etched into some inner shell of her mind.  
  
"Come in." Logans voice called.  
  
Max placed an uneasy hand on the door knob and stepped inside. There were papers and files spread all over the place. Books, pencils, and crumpled pieces of paper were scattered on the usually tidy kitchen counters.  
  
"Back here." His voice called once more.  
  
She picker her steps carefully over some documents that lay out on the beige carpet and wood floors. Her steps brought her to a very familiar room, the very room that she had first seen Logan. Surrounded by a recorder, numerous hardrives, keyboard, mouse and computer, Logan was sitting in his same computer chair typeing away and staring at the screen.  
  
"Package delivery." She replied as she leaned against the door frame.  
  
He spun around in his chair cautiously to see who it was, already knowing very well who leaned in the doorway. "Max."  
  
"Logan." She answered. "What are you working on? World domination?" It was one of the few sarcastic comments with good humer intended that had passed her lips for weeks.  
  
"Several different things, doing some late spring cleaning and organizing." He took the clipboard from her and signed his name, she tossed him the package once she received her clipboard. Something was different today. He didn't look her straight in the eyes, and when he did, it was only a glance. Almost like he was searching for something, or may be he was trying to confirm irregular thoughts that crossed his mind. Whatever the case, it was unusual which could only mean one thing, he was hiding something.  
  
"So," She started, about to pry his mind for answers. Just then the phone rang.  
  
Logan rolled his eyes, checking the caller ID. "Fantastic, probably another tipster who just wants cash. Eexcuse me a moment while I entertain the latest baboon in our third world society." He rolled past her and out the door into the kitchen area.  
  
Max was about to leave the room and just say 'see ya latter, gotta jet.' When her eyes picked up something on his screen that he had forgotten to minimize.  
  
"X5-452/ Re-train" were the only words she could make out.  
  
Max looked over her shoulder as she made her way to the computer desk, and clicked on one of the files, 452-0004. Her eyes grew wide and her face pale as she witnessed footage from her own horrific torture. 0004 was the first documentary of the Shock Wave effects. There was no volume, but the scene was bad enough. She could still hear Logan talking in the next room. She began to click randomly on other files, until she had sampled 6 of the documentaries. Who the hell does he think he is? Then a sense of betrayal fell over her shoulders and cloaked her soul. Barriers inside of her mind flew up and she cursed him under he breath as she popped the CD out of the computer drive. Logan was rolling down the hallway when she bumped into him on her way out.  
  
"Oh, sorry." He said, thinking the bump was his error.  
  
She rounded on him, eyes searing with hurt and anger. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"  
  
"What?" He asked ddumb founded.  
  
"What the hell is this?" She shouted, holding the CD inches from his face.  
  
He sighed and his glance fell away from her face, again.  
  
"Whats wrong Logan?!" She shouted, her voice trembeling. "Its ok when you witness the little peepshow of torture, with me as the star; but you can't look me in the face?!"  
  
She knew that was low, she didn't care. "This is bull shit Logan."  
  
"Max, you werne't telling me what was going on, I had to find out."  
  
"WHY?!" She screamed. "WHY NOW?! WHY COULDN'T YOU WAIT UNTIL I WAS READY?!" Rage flickered through her eyes and features.  
  
"Max, I..."  
  
"SHUT UP!" She screamed. "Just SHUT IT. I don't care! I don't care what you have to say! I never thought you would do this to me Logan! It isn't your fucking business to know what happened beyond what I tell you! If I don't tell you then I don't want you to know!" "I'm sorry Max."He was, he began to feel enormously guilty for what he had done. She was completely right and had every reason to be pissed at him and never talk to him again.  
  
She scoffed, "I bet you are." She took a breath ready to throw her last, lowest, most ego bruising sentence she would ever say to Logan. "You scientists are all alike, not giving a rats ass about the ones who are affected by your fucking actions."  
  
She snapped the CD in half and left the pieces on the floor for him to retrieve. Max stormed past him and slammed the door. Logan watched her leave and picked up the pieces of the CD. He had hurt her more than he thought he would have, she compared him to the scientists back at Manticore for Gods-sakes. 


	8. Can This Day Get Any More Trashed?

Authors Note: To answer your question Flash, no. I am 17 and still in High School. Although I am taking a sociology class but I started this story back in August. So yeah. ( Enjoy the chap. P.S.: Sorry for grammar mistakes...lol. Deffinitly not one with the dictionary. *-* Max slammed her locker shut. Fuck him. Fuck everyone.  
  
"Hey Boo."  
  
Max jumped and turned with a small, forced, smile, "Hey Cindy. 'sup?"  
  
"Nuthin much boo, just hangin' in there. You came home late last night, what's shakin'?"  
  
Max shook her head, "Nothing. Nothing happened."  
  
Cindy rolled her eyes, "Girl, you know you can't lie to Original Cindy. Be straight with me... Somethin's eatin' you boo and I wanna know what it is."  
  
Max felt a strange feeling come over her. This very conversation made her feel almost like nothing had ever happened. Just normal talk between two friends about some dick-ass of a guy. Max took a seat on the bench and made sure no one was listening.  
  
"That shit... That happened to me in... Yeah." She had yet to come out and say what it was that was done to her in Manticore. Mostly because she did not like talking about it. The other half because it scared her shitless to think that somebody was able to get under her skin and nearly kill her.  
  
Cindy nodded, "Go on girl."  
  
"Surveillance was taken" She struggled through the words. She felt awkward and ashamed that this conversation was even taking place. "Delivery for Logan the other day... His hacker self got a hold of the videos..."  
  
Cindy took in a breath, "He didn't..."  
  
"Yeah." Was all Max could state.  
  
Cindy sighed, "See, this is why Cindy goes chicks all the way. Guys just make things worse when they try to understand their girls."  
  
Max closed her eyes, "He watched them." She whispered.  
  
Cindy's eyes got wide; she laid an arm around Max's shoulders and pulled her towards her. "Oh Boo..."  
  
Max just flopped her hands expressively and shrugged, "Why? What a dumb- ass..."  
  
Cindy rubbed her friends shoulder, offering comfort.  
  
She knew that this had to be difficult to face what Manticore did to her. Cindy whispered, "Yes he is. He doesn't have a right to go behind your back like that suga, but he did anyway."  
  
There was nothing more that she could say, Max knew that and never expected her to say anything else. The two just sat in silence as Max felt the anger and frustration rise in the pit of her stomach. Then she spoke, "I feel so stupid."  
  
"What?" Cindy asked, startled by the statement.  
  
Max continued, "I mean, I am such a dumb-fuck for getting my ass nabbed... Again. You don't think I was over reacting do you?" She asked, now unsure of herself for the first time in her life. I can't believe this shit has happened to me...  
  
"Not at all." Cindy smiled and continued, "That boy gotta learn to not sniff around in your business no matter what it is. We aren't exactly sure what happened to you back there and I give him props for trying to find out, but he just went about it the wrong way."  
  
Max took a breath and sighed. "Why are men such dumb-asses when they try to make things better in an already bad situation?"  
  
"Don't know suga. It's the way their mind is set somehow." Cindy shrugged. "Logan is just concerned is all. You gotta know he didn't mean to hurt you so bad."  
  
"But he did." Max said flatly.  
  
More silence followed and then a quirky voice came from no where.  
  
"Max! Hey, so this is where you work! Guess we're gonna be partners in crime!"  
  
Max rolled her eyes, "Oh shit."  
  
"What is it suga?" OC asked as she turned her head.  
  
Then a blond headed, attractive young guy flashed his cynical smile, "Hey Max." He repeated.  
  
"Don't tell me Normal hired your ass." Max stated.  
  
"Awww, is that any way to treat your uh..."  
  
Max cut him off for introductions, "Alec- Cindy. Cindy-Alec... AKA: Smart Ass of America." The voice inside of Max's skull came alive once more, Could the day get any more trashed? 


	9. Coffee Break

Authors Note: Oh wow have I abandoned you guys or what? I am so sorry everyone. Just been drudging through college, had a bunch of people die, and now I got a painting due soon that isn't even half finished... falls down Any how, I'm back to work on this story just to let you all know, incase you're still interested. I'm workin' on my own private fanfic library right now online. When it's complete, I'll post the link and you can see my much larger collection there. This is a short chap, I know- but I'm workin' on the next one while you're reading this most likely. Enjoy.

Max sipped her coffee, not really tasting it. She was on break. It was the third week she had been working with Alec. Just as she was thinking about how much she wanted to kick his ass for stealing her share of the doughnuts that morning, the arrogant sandy haired X5 took a seat next to her.

"Hey there miss Max." He grinned.

She was lost in thought.

"What- no sunshine smile this morning?"

She brought the mug to her lips and drank down it's warmth. Feeling the grainy powder run down her tongue and in between her teeth. Still no flavor.

Alec rolled his eyes. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "What is goin' on in that head of yours?"

Max shook her heard and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Just thinkin' about 'you no where' and what really happened."

"That's what's got you down? Max- the place is gone... You made sure of that." He dismissed the topic simply. Just as he was about to mention how much he wanted to get with one of the new girls, Max brought him back to what she was saying.

"That's not what I'm talkin' about." Max shrugged, stretching her tense shoulders.

He exhaled dramatically "What is it then?"

She took another sip, before continuing. "Something happened to me back there Alec."

"Yeah? You went in to CYOPS and had thousands of volts of electricity blasted through your body."

"How did-"

"there were rumors." Alec answered quickly, sparing her the shame of knowing the truth- that he had heard her screams three halls down.

"Oh." She looked away. "That's not what I'm talking about either."

"Care to give a guy a hint?"

She lowered her voice, "I think I'm going crazy."

"What?"

"Seriously Alec. I think I'm going crazy. I keep having these weird ass dreams." She looked at the bottom of her coffee mug. "Like memories or something..."

"about what?"

Already she could feel the tears coming to the rims of her eyes. It was so easy, too easy to confide in Alec. He was the perfect resemblance of her brother Ben. Ben who had been such a bright and lovable child while they were growing up in that hell hole. And yet Alec was just Alec, a smart ass.

She shook her head, "I gotta jet."

Alec watched helplessly as Max excused herself and left her mug of instant coffee. She slung her pack over her shoulder and cleared her throat, "It's funny-"

"What?"

"Before, I woulda kicked your ass this morning for taking my food."

"Oh? What stopped you?"

She shrugged, "Guess I just wasn't in the mood."

It was then that Original Cindy came over. "You see it too boo?"

"See what?"

"The hurt in my gurls eyes suga." OC said softly.

"Yeah," he nodded.

Cindy finished up Max's abandoned drink. "That place broke that girl let me tell you. Never thought it could happen in a million,but it did in just a few months."

"I don't think she's broken exactly." Alec started.

"How so?"

"Because she wouldn't have survived some of the stuff Renfro did to her." He turned to Cindy and with all the seriousness he could muster, "I know whole units who were killed during that CYOPS program of Renfro's. They were test subjects, obviously, but still."

He shrugged and checked the clock, "What joy, two hours down, another ten to go."

"You goin' on twelve today?" Cindy asked surprise.

"Yup, Sketch called in and Normal decided to give me the honor of covering that guys hang over."

"Suga you gonna be tired. Next time Normal try's that again, you tell him to come an have a word wit sista gurl. I set him straight." She winked with the final sip of the now luke warm liquid.

Alec laughed, "Ha- I'll remember that. And I'm not so tired anyhow."

"Why's that?"

"I don't sleep."

Spoilers: Hang tight, there's going to be a big moment coming up in the next couple chapters... Max will finally admit that her nightmares are in fact memories.


	10. Old Friend

Max was walking alone down the street. It was dark and cold. She checked her pager; Logan had called twelve times today. She shoved the device into her pocket and refused to look at it. She still wasn't ready to confront him. Without thinking, Max bumped into a woman who was walking past her.

"Jeez, I'm sorry!" She said hurriedly.

The woman just looked over her shoulder and smiled sympathetically. "No problem."

She looked familiar. Too familiar. Max watched the woman turn away; she was holding something in her arms.

"Hey!"

The girl turned back around, this time she looked a little nervous. "Yeah?"

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

The young woman's face paled at the question. She took a few hesitant steps back. "No, I don't think so."

Max stood motionless, "I have seen you somewhere."

"No, you haven't." She was very nervous now and looking down the alley way to her left. She turned completely around now, still carrying a small bundle closely to her chest.

Max knew for sure she had seen this woman. Her soft features, her gentle eyes, and short hair were all too familiar. "No, I never forget a face." Max insisted. Then she realized where she had seen her, but rather than blurt it out- Max simply said, "It's in my genes."

The young woman's eyes locked on Max finally. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

The woman stopped, she seemed to relax a little. Her brows knit together in thought. "I know you too."

Max took a few steps forward; she lowered her voice, "You X5?"

The woman shook her head, "No, X6." She shifted her weight. "You were in the breeding program weren't you?"

"Yeah." Max nodded. "Name's Max."

The young woman smiled, "I remember." She nodded. "Drove Renfro nuts that one of her precious little X series wouldn't forget her identity."

Max smiled softly, "What's your name?"

"Gem." She answered. "I live on Oak Street, with a few more like us. Normal's won't go near the place because there was some toxic spill a few years ago."

"Oh yeah?" Max continued, "You talkin' bout' Terminal City right?"

Gem nodded, "Yup. Share a pad with a kid, Dalton. He helps me out a lot around the place. What with the baby and all."

"Baby?"

Gem came closer to Max; she peeled back part of the blanket that covered a chubby cheeked face. "Born just last week, can already open her eyes and lift her head. Starting to coo a lot more too."

"She's beautiful." Max murmured as she looked over Gems shoulder into the girls face.

Gem smiled, "I see you lost your weight pretty fast. I've still got another twenty to loose before I'm back to normal."

"I didn't have a kid." Max told her.

Gem's eyebrows raised, "Sure you did."

"Nope."

"Huh," Gem started as she wrapped up the baby once more to keep out the cold. "Renfro was telling one of the fertility doctors that every case was a success."

Max felt coldness spread through her flesh. "What?"

Gem nodded, "Yeah. I mean, a couple of the females had to have the surrogates. Like what they usually do to produce more X series. I remember because I saw them from time to time in the pregnancy wing."

"Manticore lost millions when the DNA lab exploded, how did they get the funding for surrogates? If they could do that- why have the Breeding Program?"

Gem shrugged, "I dunno. May be they didn't have enough money for a whole unit of surrogates but could afford a few to come in. I mean, having only five or six come in is a lot cheaper than a hundred, you know?"

"Yeah." Max said softly.

Gem shrugged, "I dunno, they kept us pretty sedated the last few months, I could have just heard her wrong."

"Yeah." Max repeated.

Gem looked up, "You ok?"

"Of course." Max shook forced a smile.

Gem smiled, "I gotta put the little one to bed. She's been sleeping for the past hour but she's gotta be some place safer than with her mamma on the street. Come by some time, we're in Block 22, second story. I'm usually running around helping out the other moms."

Max nodded, "I'll do that."

Gem smiled softly in goodbye and turned to leave. Max did the same. Then Gem stopped and turned to Max one last time. "Stay on Oak Street Max."

"Why? Was I goin' anywhere else?"

Gem shrugged, "Just lettin' you know. Terminal City isn't the only home for people like us. We've caught a few trans-humans and anomalies running through our streets. They're pretty territorial about the place, so just- be careful."

Max nodded, "Thanks. I will."

Gem turned around and turned the corner on her block. Max turned around and made her way down the street. Her heart was beating at a plunging rate. It felt as though the organ was beating against her rib cage. Those nightmares, they were real. They had happened. What the hell did this mean? But Gem could have been wrong, easily- right? There was only one way to find out. Max slipped into the nearest phone booth. She slammed in a couple of quarters and punched the keys. The phone rang only once before a familiar voice answered.

"Max?"

Max choked down her pride, "I need you to do something for me."

Logan could hear the intensity in her voice, "What- what's wrong?"

"I ran into somebody from Manticore." Max began, then she lied, "She's got some questions about the Breeding Program."

"Breeding Program?" Logan had never heard about this.

Max cut him off, "Just, do your hacker thing and find out exactly how many were involved in the program. I need to know about everything Logan." She paused, "I'll be staying with a friend tonight, you can slide the stuff under the door."

"Tonight?" Logan asked. "Why don't you just stop by?"

"Considering what happened last time, I don't think I wanna be stoppin' by for a long time." She snapped.

There was silence. She was afraid she'd lost her only line to the truth.

"What's the address?"


	11. Crashin' With Smart Ass

Author Note: Thank you Gingersnap & Mindy for the encouragement. I know it's been like over a year since I've updated. Thanks for hangin' in there and keeping an eye out!

Alec downed a beer. He burped, and then cleared his throat. "Let's see what's on the tube tonight…"

He leaned back into his couch, arm stretched out and flipped through the channels. He stopped his button clicking on a penthouse channel. Just as the woman on the screen began to unbutton her blouse, he heard a knock on his door. Alec huffed irritably and got to his feet. He pulled on a pair of gray sweats to cover his navy boxers, and then pushed through piles of magazines and papers in search for a shirt.

"Ah ha!" He triumphantly pulled on a white tank.

There was another knock at his door.

"I'm comin' I'm comin!" He shouted irritably.

He opened his door, expecting someone with another noise complaint, instead he found Max looking at him with glassy doe eyes.

"Hey," She murmured softly.

"Max?"

"Who'd you expect, Santa Clause?" She asked mockingly.

Alec stood in the doorway, unsure of what to think about Max Guevara suddenly appearing at his apartment.

Max cleared her throat, "You gonna let me in or what?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah- yeah, come in." Alec shook his head and stepped aside.

Max smiled softly and walked past him. Alec closed his door and saw that the woman on his TV screen was now working on pulling off her bra. Alec ran across the room and turned the TV off at quickly as possible. Max hardly noticed. Alec breathed a sigh of relief, the last thing he needed was to hear about how he needed to watch sex on the tube for company.

"So," he turned around to face Max, "What's up?"

She was barely listening to him. Instead, she was skimming the counters and tabletop with her eyes. His apartment was so unlike Logan's condo. Logan's home, which had always been clean and orderly; all except for his Eyes Only office. Alec's kitchen was completely covered in dirty dishes, week old magazines, and plates of abandoned food. Alec rushed past her to scrape away the countertops. Max looked away.

"Can I crash here tonight?"

"What?" Alec asked, "Don't you bunk with Cindy?"

Max nodded, "Yeah."

Alec waited for her to say more, but she didn't, so he cleared his throat and continued, "Max, what are you really doing here?"

She turned around to face him, hands in pockets, jacket zipped up to her chin as usual. "I don't feel safe at home anymore."

He didn't say anything.

Max took a seat on one of his barstools. She unscrewed the cap on another beer bottle and helped herself to its contents. The foam tickled her throat as she drank it. She set down the bottle and kept her eye on the front door.

"Waiting for something?" Alec asked as he unscrewed a fresh beer for himself.

"Yup." She took another chug.

He was surprised, "Seriously? Uh, Max, incase you didn't know- I didn't order a pizza or anything…"

She took another drink, "I'm not waiting for food Alec." Her eyes looked his way, "I could wait for food at home."

He took a drink, "thought you didn't feel safe there anymore."

"That's right."

Silence.

An hour went by and finally Max was beginning to feel the heat in the room. It was getting very stuffy and her jacket was beginning to feel more like a heavy fabric of steel.

She slipped off her gloves. "You got a fan in here or somethin'?"

"Nope." Alec answered.

Her vision was starting to spot. This was always the first sign of something she hadn't experienced in months. "You got any Tryp around here?"

"Fresh out." Alec told her. "Got some goats milk in the fridge though."

Max pushed away the beer bottle and made her way towards the fridge. Her hand was shaking as she opened the door, forcing her muscles to stay in check. Max was able to open the bottle and choke down a few drops of the frothy liquid before the tremors became unbearable.

"Whoa, hey- you ok?" Alec caught her arm just as she was sliding to the floor

Max gritted her teeth, "Same old, same old."

Alec led her to the couch, keeping a firm grip on her arm incase she fell down completely. By the time Max had her feet propped up on the couch, and had finished half the bottle of milk, the tremors were wearing off. Every now and then there would be a sharp crack of pain that would lance through her limbs, but that she could deal with.

Max took a deep breath and exhaled sharply as the last of the tremors wore off. It was then that Alec suggested taking off her jacket.

"Why?" She asked irritably.

He held up his hands in mock defeat, "Hey, sorry for trying to be helpful."

Her eyes narrowed, she was about to say something harsh but stopped herself. She looked away, "Sorry, kinda tense lately that's all."

"Yeah? Well we all are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged, "Whatever the hell you want it to mean Max."

She watched him for a few minutes, wondering what she should say. Just then, there was a knock at the door that broke the silence. Max jumped, she checked her watch. It was two fifteen in the morning. Alec looked up at the door, "Stay here."

Max knew who it was in the hallway. It was just as well that she didn't get up from her seat. She was stilling feeling lightheaded but would never admit it. And although her back was to the door, she could still hear their voices.

"Ben?" Logan asked in surprised.

"Nope, but I get that a lot."

"Max here?"

"May be." Alec answered cautiously.

Max could feel his eyes looking over Ben's clone, finding her sitting on the couch, and not even looking at him.

There was a pause.

"Well here." Logan handed over a file folder to Alec. "Just to let you know," and at this point his voice rose just a bit and became a little firmer, "I didn't read any of its contents."

Alec took the folder, peeking through the papers, unsure of why Max had requested such information this late at night.

"Well bye now." Alec said in a cocky manner and closed the door.

"You givin' out my address to people Max?" He made his way back to the sofa and coffee table.

Max held out her hand expectantly for the file folder, "Just him."

He reluctantly handed over the packet of information.

"Who is he?"

Max was still angry with Logan. Beyond angry, flat out pissed. "Nobody."

"Oooh, do I sense some tension?" Alec was really interested now, "lemme guess, ex boyfriend?"

"We were never like that." She answered, knowing full well that when Renfro had recaptured her, she and Logan were just beginning the next chapter in their life together.

"Uh huh." Alec said in disbelief. There was a pause, "What'd he do- creep with another girl?"

"Shut up." Max said sharply.

"Oh come on Max!" Alec pleaded, "I got nothin' here!"

"What did I just say?" Max asked irritably.

Alec leaned back in his recliner and flipped on the teli. "Whatever."

Max waited until he had drifted off to sleep before reading the contents of the folder.


	12. Tremble

Max had been staring at the file folder for nearly an hour. Alec was sleeping on the recliner just to her left, snoring and snorting. Inside that stupid manilla file was the answer to one of her latest and most burning question:

"Are my nightmares the memories of what happened?"

She took a sharp breath, with eyes squeezed tightly Max flipped open the folder and spread the contents out over the coffee table. Now she'd have to look at them, in the least to put them away again before Alec found them. She slowly opened her eyes.

"They're just papers," Max whispered to herself, "Why are you so scared of paper all of a sudden?"

With trembling fingers she flipped through the pages. There had to be about a hundred of the color printed documents. All of it was on the Breeding Program. The first page had a list of the contestants for the program and the pairs involved. The second page had a list of the surrogates who had been recruited. All of the carriers were between the ages of nineteen and twenty-two. Then something caught her eye. Max's eyes raked over the information, then slowly, things started to come together.

She began to have flashes of her past.

"_452 extraction was smooth." _

"_Good." Renfro's voice. "Is it the last of them?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Start implanting the surrogates, now. Put 452 on heavy sedatives and close surveillance."_

Max felt a cold sweat running down her spine. She pulled out more things from the pages. Code names of the surrogates, after all everyone inside of Manticore had a number- not a name. Her heart skipped a beat when she found a chart listing all of the paired units with surrogates.

X5452 w/ X5494: SUCCESS 

**SEROGATE : 6112348**

**NOTES: 5 embryos implanted**

**SURVIVAL: 1 expected to survive**

Max glanced over at Alec her nerves shot. This had been too much to take at once. Suddenly she felt very unclean, Manticore had forced her to produce children without her knowledge and then taken them before she even noticed. But did Alec know? May be he didn't have to know. May be he shouldn't know. May be….

Her thoughts were interrupted, "What the hell are you doin' Max?"

She slid the papers back together, in no particular order and slipped them back inside of the file.

"Nuthin." She answered quietly.

Alec watched her through sleep-filled eyes as she walked to the counter and replaced her leather gloves. "I'm gonna jet."

"Huh?" Max glanced over at the clock. "Max, it's like six AM. We aren't due at Jam Pony until eight."

Max shrugged, "I'm callin' in sick today. Somethin's come up."

"What?" Alec sat up now, he scratched his chest and squinted his eyes. He always did appreciate a good nap once in a while.

"See ya later." Max turned towards the door.

"It was in that file your friend brought over huh?"

Max didn't turn around, suddenly she had to go see Gem; her hand was already on the doorknob. "Thank's for lettin' me crash here."

And with that, Max left 494 to his own thoughts and curiosity. After she left Alec got up and moved himself back to his sofa. What'd he care if she left? It was his home anyway and he was perfectly comfortable being alone. Alec propped his feet on the coffee table. Something caught his eye. A paper; a piece of paper that had been left forgotten. Alec leaned over and grabbed the stray sheet. Confused, he read the words allowed.

"Breeding Program Units." His eyes skimmed the rest of the page. A list of barcodes with other barcodes. All had little checks next to each row, each unit.

What was Max doing reading about this stuff? Alec folded the paper and set the empty milk jug on it. He flipped on the television and tried to forget he'd ever seen it. It wasn't his problem, it wasn't his issue. But there the paper lay, taunting him until he went to work an hour late.


	13. Care To Help A Sista Out?

AN: Don't worry; Logan will be brought back to the story- just not yet. I've just scooted him away for a bit.

Max found the right block number and looked up the landing. There were just too many stairs. She sighed and used the fire escape instead. It was early morning. Balled up newspaper littered the ground, tumbling with the breeze left over from last nights acid rain. It was especially chilly this morning. Terminal City was starting to stir with the rest of Seattle. Max climbed inside an open window, she was on the third story and already- she could hear infants crying for attention. Max smiled faintly; she liked kids when they weren't her responsibility.

"Hey!" It was a young kid who called out.

Max turned around, lowering her eyes from her inspection of the hallway, "Yeah?"

"Who are you? I've never seen you here before." The kid was probably fourteen; she assumed he was another division of X6. He had sandy blond hair that had been spiked and he wore a navy blue hoodie to both keep warm and conceal his barcode.

"Never been here before." Max saw the suspicion in his eyes; he turned to run for help. "Hold it." Max said sharply, she turned around and showed him her barcode.

"X5-452. Name's Max." She let go of the hair she had been holding.

He had relaxed and smiled softly, "X5, that's the division that got out in '09, cool."

Max smiled softly at the memory, "Yup."

"I'm X6, names Dalton. Gem mentioned you yesterday, said you might come by." Dalton looked over his shoulder; "She's probably awake by now so you can come on with me."

"Awake?" Max asked. "We don't need sleep."

Dalton laughed, "Obviously you've never shared a hall with twenty two other new mothers and their screaming babies." He smiled, "Transgenics don't need sleep during wartime, but if you're around that many kids at once, it can kick anyone's a…"

"Hey," Max scolded, "Watch the language."

"Sorry."

She smiled softly, "It's cool."

Max made her way down the flaking hall. Wallpaper hung in disarray, lights flickered to stay alight, and there were no air conditioners or heating system. It reminded her of her own home with Cindy.

Dalton led Max into an old office. There were lavender curtains hanging from the two windows to her left. Mix matched chairs had been placed in a corner around a small table of sorts. There was a desk near the window, which served as a changing table. A paper basket was nestled under the desk, recently emptied of its soiled diapers.

"Hey Gem!" Dalton called out; he closed the door behind Max. "Max is here!"

"Be right out!" Gem's voice floated from another office, which connected to the one they were standing in.

Max didn't sit down, Dalton hurriedly straightened the make shift living room. He threw all of the toys into another wastebasket, wiped down the table, and opened the blinds that hung from the windows. Gem came out from the back room, baby in her arms, "Dalton, put Cali to sleep. I'm gonna go on a walk with Max."

"Ok." Dalton carefully held Cali in his arms, and without complaint he started to rock the little girl and pat her back softly.

Gem grabbed her jacket and sipped it up to her chin; she raised the hood and smiled at Max. "Let's go."

Once outside, Gem initiated the conversation. "I gather you found out?"

"You could say that." Max answered coldly.

Gem nodded, they made their way into one of the courtyards and took a seat on an iron bench.

"You're not the only one you know." Gem offered. "Actually, there's another X6 here just last week who found her baby. Little boy, named Hayden."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

There was a brief silence. "I came here to talk about the surrogate."

"Oh?"

Max pulled out the folder she had kept hidden in her jacket since her arrival. She slipped out the tabbed photo and showed it to Gem. "Do you remember her?"

Gem took the picture and studied the image.

The woman was nineteen years old. Just a kid. She had soft eyes and smile. Her hair hung in waves of amber gold to her shoulders. Her eyes were bright green.

"Oh yeah, I remember her." Gem nodded with raised eyebrows. "Tried to escape, more than once."

Max's brows furrowed, "Really?"

"Yeah." Gem nodded. "She was really small- I remember the fertility doctors told her she had to gain at least fifteen additional pounds before she could take part in the program."

"What made her want out?"

Gem shrugged and handed the photo back to Max, "It's not uncommon. When the surrogates got there, Renfro made sure that they didn't know what Manticore really was. But she found out somehow. She developed a relationship with one of the doctors. Each time she tried to escape, it was because of that doctor. Because of her flight risk, Renfro ordered her to have an induced labor."

"And?"

Gem shrugged, "I don't know what happened to her after that. A few days later, Manticore went up in flames- from what I hear you're the one responsible." Gem smiled softly, "I was happy someone finally had the balls to do it."

Max sighed, "Guess I'm still at square one, unless I come across one of these Manticore doctors or somethin'."

Gem smiled sympathetically, "Sorry I can't be more of help."

Max shrugged, forcing away her disappointment, "It's ok. Story of my life, I'm used to it."

Just then, a scuffling noise, a thud, and a child screaming interrupted the quiet. Gem and Max both sprang to their feet. Max's ears picked up the source before Gem, she sprinted in that direction. The two ran down an alleyway, Gem was shouting after Max but she couldn't hear the words.

Max turned down a dark alleyway. She found a group of X children, beating on another child.

"Hey!" Max barked.

The children looked up suddenly, knowing she was X5 simply by her photo that their unit had been shown before Manticore was compromised. This was 452. This was the X5 who escaped Manticore in '09. X5 were top of the line in genetics. Knowing this, most of the children scattered immediately. But Max was able to grab the collar of one of them before he too ran away.

Gem finally caught up to Max, "Jim!" She snapped, "What do you think you're doing?"

The boy struggled in Max's grasp, "It was trespassing! It was here last week too and we told it to not come back!"

Gem took a hold of the boys arm. "I'm taking you to Elra." She looked at Max, "This happens a lot."

Max nodded, "Take him back, I'll take this one."

"They're not like us Max." Gem murmured. "Be careful."

Max didn't speak. Gem and the little boy left the alleyway, Gem scolding him the entire way.

Max crouched down to the child who had huddled into a ball. Max laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey kid, you ok?"

The transhuman child lowered his gloved hands from his face. He blinked away a second eyelid. Max almost jumped, but smothered her nerves. The little boy staring at her was covered in mousy gray fur. He had cat eyes that sparkled with the mischief that comes from being of feline ancestry. He didn't say anything, and then Max saw the small tears that had begun to leak from his feline eyes and trail across his fuzzy cheeks.

"You ok?" Max repeated.

He shook his head no, "My arm hurts." He whispered in a scratchy voice.

"Oh?" Max asked simply. "Why's it hurt?"

He pulled it closer to his body.

Max put a hand on her hip, "Now we can't fix it if you don't show it to me."

Hesitantly, the boy held out his forearm. Max rolled up his sleeve, carefully. She saw the deep cut that lanced from wrist to elbow. It was deep, and trickling with a steady flow of blood. Max tore off a piece of her shirt, exposing her mid drift. She tied the cloth around his arm.

"What's that?" The little boy asked through gritted teeth.

He was pointing at her exposed flesh. Max quickly zipped up the jacket, hiding the spider web scars from his eyes. From everyone's eyes. "Come on," Max tightened the knot. "I'll take you home."


End file.
